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CNN This Morning
Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) is Interviewed about Farmers; Pollster Frank Luntz is Interviewed about the Midterms; Democrats Responding to Anti-Trans Attack Ads. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired September 28, 2026 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[06:32:38]
AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: So, farmers are feeling the squeeze from higher prices. They've got to pay more for diesel, fertilizer. So, could Republicans ultimately pay the political price? The cost of diesel, for example, is currently around $6.50 per gallon. That's up about three whole dollars since last year.
Now, some farmers say they're spending up to $1,000 more per day on fuel compared to 12 months ago. And one farmer's union leader told CNN that the war with Iran, combined with the president's tariff and trade policies, are driving costs up across the board.
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AARON LEHMAN, PRESIDENT, IOWA FARMERS UNION: This strategy has not worked. Getting fair trade and made for higher prices for what we grow. So, the tariffs and the increased input prices because of the war, on fertilizer and diesel, it's really been a double whammy. And it's coming at precisely the wrong time for farmers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Joining me now, we're talking to Congresswoman Suzan DelBene. She's a Democrat from Washington.
Thank you so much for being here.
REP. SUZAN DELBENE (D-WA): Absolutely.
CORNISH: So, I want to talk about the agriculture specifically because I think it's a great example of an issue that's resonating in red states in particular. And when I was doing the research, I found that of the states that are toss up right now, most of them went to Trump by seven points. So, you guys are competing for people who are Trump voters.
Why didn't Democrats, for example, vote for this farm bill that was up in April? You had several people who just didn't even approve it out of the gate. DELBENE: Well, you know, first of all, there's not being enough done
to help our farmers. The policies from this administration have been devastating. Day one tariffs on Canada. Eighty percent of our potash for fertilizer comes from Canada. Prices go up. Markets --
CORNISH: But you were among those who voted against the farm bill. That's a good example --
DELBENE: Because we -- the farm bill -- the farm bill needs to be better to support our farmers, to support our communities. There's two key parts of the farm bill, making sure we support our farmers and agricultural communities, making sure that we're getting food to people across the country. Both of those are priorities and interconnected. The administration, Republicans in the Congress, haven't been at all focused on helping farmers. And there's the farm bill. And there's also policies like tariffs that have done incredible damage.
CORNISH: But the reason why I ask is, if you're a farmer who voted for Trump, who feels loyal and, like that gentleman said, you know what, these policies, they didn't work after all.
[06:35:09]
They want to turn to someone else and have that person say, here's what we will do, because they already know what hasn't been done. You know what I mean?
DELBENE: Yes.
CORNISH: Do Democrats actually have something that's like, here are the kinds of things that will be different for your life other than Trump not being there?
DELBENE: Absolutely. First of all, access to markets, making sure we're having sound trade policy, getting rid of the tariffs, making sure that we have policies to support our farmers so that they're able to make a living. Right now we see family farmers going out of business more and more under this administration. Making sure that there's a workforce available to help our farmers. All of these things are interconnected. But, yes, the war -- diesel prices skyrocketing for --
CORNISH: Here's an example. You've got a farmer in northeast Iowa. He's talking to "The Wall Street Journal. And he says, look, politics, it's been frustrating. His name is Wayne Vorwald. And he's at this farmer trade show. But he also said, "there are plenty of angry cattlemen around here. Nonetheless, Vorwald says he can't bring himself to vote for a Democrat."
What's your response to that in a period where you have lots of Democrats running pretty far to the left and bringing with them some ideas that red state voters aren't exactly embracing?
DELBENE: I think we have incredible candidates running in these districts. Folks like Christina Bohannan, Sara Trone Garriott, Lindsay James in Iowa, three seats right there.
CORNISH: What do they have in common? Why you're pointing them out. Just that --
DELBENE: What -- they're there in Iowa focused on agricultural issues. Jamie Ager, our candidate in North Carolina 11, he is a farmer. He is running actually to help support farmers of -- in the agricultural community that has been hit so hard. Hurricane Helene hitting North Carolina. Republicans doing nothing. Rebecca Cooke up in Wisconsin. We have folks who are running actually and talking about policies specifically to help our ag communities.
And, yes, prices, skyrocketing.
CORNISH: Yes.
DELBENE: Fertilizer prices. That's the result of tariffs and the war in Iran. Diesel prices. These are direct actions. So --
CORNISH: I think I'm trying to figure out why a CNN poll would still find Democrats being looked at unfavorably by a majority of voters. Like --
DELBENE: But sometimes when you look at kind of this generic poll on Democrats versus talk about individual candidates, it's very different. Look at -- look at polling in districts, in these swing districts. Look at the polling with our name Democratic candidates. Folks like Jamie Ager. We are running ahead.
So, when people know we have these great candidates who are on the ground talking about the issues that matter, who are working with communities, who are talking directly with their farmers, we win.
CORNISH: Yes.
DELBENE: And we are winning. These are purple districts. These aren't bright blue districts across -- we're talking about purple districts. We're winning in these districts here.
CORNISH: So, let me add one more thing, because we're going to talk about it in a few minutes. The return of ads around trans issues. The return of this as a culture war issue -- as Republicans in particular say, look, maybe we're not going to talk about the economy so much, but we know for a fact this is going to address concerns that voters in purple and red states have.
Do Democrats have any better idea, policy, way of talking about the issue of trans rights than they did back in 2024?
CORNISH: So, first of all, our candidates are responding to false attacks across the country. Republicans have nothing to run on. So, they are running attack ads because they have no substance. We are -- our candidates are responding and they're responding uniquely in their own way to what they're hearing from their communities, which is so important. And they are talking about over and over the issues that matter on the ground. Affordability. The issues families are struggling with. And standing up for communities, for folks to be able to address issues in their communities, bring people together. That's what's so important.
What we have from Republicans is nothing. Folks are struggling all across the country. Housing, food, health care, childcare, energy costs, gas prices, all skyrocketing. Not a peep from Republicans. We have candidates who are talking about every issue on the ground right now and again in these purple districts, talking to folks with many different political points of view. And they're winning because people want someone who's going to be a representative, not a rubber stamp for this administration. That's all Republicans got.
CORNISH: Well, I know you have many more races coming up. It's going to be a busy couple of weeks for you as head of the DCCC. Good luck. I'm sure we'll have you back.
DELBENE: Yes.
CORNISH: That's Congresswoman Suzan DelBene.
Next on CNN THIS MORNING, Republicans, as we said, they're not just talking about trans issues. They're bringing back the they/them attack ads. .This time, what are Democrats saying back?
Plus, we've got this.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Pretend, please, that I'm on the ballot.
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CORNISH: We're going to talk about whether that's been a winning strategy for Republicans. We've got a veteran political pollster up next.
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[06:44:09]
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Pretend, please, that I'm on the ballot.
Pretend I'm on the ballot.
I'm asking you to pretend that I'm on the ballot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: That's the president's pitch to Republican voters this November. It raises a big political question. If Americans really do treat these midterms like Trump is running again, does that help or hurt Republicans? Pollster and political consultant Frank Luntz joins me now.
As we talked about, the president has been seeing a historic low when it comes to his approval ratings. For instance, in our poll, his approval rating was down to 33 percent. You've also said, however, that he's been down before and not to count him out. So, how are you actually looking at the polling numbers that are out there?
FRANK LUNTZ, POLLSTER: I'm looking at a turnout differential that advantages the Democrats by a couple of points, which means that there are more people who oppose Donald Trump, who are planning to vote, than those who support him.
[06:45:08]
There's always been a historical advantage to the party out of power in the midterms, particularly in the first midterms. And we see that now, that there's an energy defert (ph) -- energy challenge for GOP voters. And that's what the president is trying to address.
Now, here's the issue. When he is on the ballot, his people come out. They participate. They did in the on-year elections, 2016 and 2024. And they did not, in 2018. And they did not as much, even when Joe Biden was the president in 2020, for the 2022 election. So, that's what he's trying to do.
His numbers, his support is not as strong today as it has been in the past. So, it's a very dangerous strategy. But he needs his people to vote in a place like Texas. If the Trump voters participate, the Republican nominee in Texas is elected. If the Trump voters don't participate, the Democrats will achieve an upset. It's the same thing in states as small as Iowa, Alaska. It even matters in a state like Ohio. So, I understand the strategy, but it has multiple impacts we need to take into account as we start to make projections for Election Day.
CORNISH: Who do you count in that world of the Trump voter who turns out? And I ask because there are a world of Latino voters who have turned against him in some polling. We played numerous quotes from farmers, for example. And in so many of the states, at least on the House side, they were states that he had won by upwards of -- I think the median was seven points. So, who do we mean when we say in the Trump coalition and who may he, I don't know, may be more difficult to count on going forward.
LUNTZ: I can only tell you the voters that I'm watching. And Latino voter, you're correct, is much more than any other, because it will have such an impact in a state like Texas. And Latino numbers for Donald Trump are not -- are definitely not as high today as they were when he was elected. But he saw the difference. He saw what it did to his own support and what it did for senators and congressmen who are running at the same time.
The other group I'm looking at are male union voters who move towards the Republicans in historic levels in 2024. And then the third group are younger voters, voters under age 30, who cast more votes for Donald Trump again in 2024, more than they usually do. And this allowed him to bring over more senators, more congressmen. And I have a simple challenge to vote -- to people who watch how voters are reacting. If Trump can keep -- President Trump can keep the House and keep the Senate, and he has proven how powerful he is, and make no mistake, to every viewer watching, Donald Trump does have more influence on more races than any other Republican, even than Ronald Reagan. I've never seen a Republican as engaged and involved as this guy. And it matters.
But also make no mistake, we're not in the same election. Voters are frustrated. And many of them are angry. And they want results, not rhetoric. And they expect the president to make changes. And they don't like the war. They don't like the affordability crisis. And they don't like the style and the ugliness.
And I'd say one more thing. To people who are working for Donald Trump, you can bash the pollsters all you want, on Election Day is the great quote John Wooden (ph) said, the votes are the votes. The results are the results.
And I think this is going to be a challenge for GOP candidates. But if he turns out his people, who still like him, still believe in the Trump message and the Trump agenda, we can have an upset. But right now, there are an awful lot of people who can't wait to vote, and they want to send a message to this administration and the people in Washington, D.C.
CORNISH: That's the pollster, Frank Luntz.
Frank, thank you for being on.
Now, Democrats seem to be pushing back against a very specific kind of attack. One that was used against them in the 2024 presidential election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kamala's agenda is they/them, not you.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm Donald J. Trump, and I approve this message.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Republicans are spending more than $60 million in ads targeting transgender policies this year alone. Democrats think this time they've got an answer.
[06:50:02]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here's the truth. I voted with Republicans to keep transgender ideology out of our schools.
LINDSAY JAMES (D), IOWA CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: Dark money groups are lying about me. We need to protect kids, and we need common sense rules to keep sports fair.
JOANNA MENDOZA (D), ARIZONA CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: I want to set the record straight. As a mom, I know that parents just want their kids safe, on the playing field and across Arizona.
BLAKE GENDEBIEN (D), NEW YORK CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: I've always been clear, boys shouldn't play on girl's sports teams. The thing is, in 20 years, raising a family here, I haven't heard this issue come up. Not once.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Group chat is back.
Yasmin, can I turn to you? I tried to ask DelBene this question as well. She basically pivoted to all the other issues they're talking about. What's the concern about the they/them ad coming back?
YASMIN RADJY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SWING LEFT: You know, I think we're in a moment where people are really hurting and the prevailing feeling that we hear from Republicans, Democrats and independents is a feeling like the system is broken. And so, I think what the they/them ad does is it taps into a feeling like our politics is disconnected from people. It also taps into a real sort of lack of knowledge among voters around, you know, what trans policy means, right? And so, what Democrats are not talking about is, federal intervention in sports, right? Like, how is the federal government going to do that? This is a -- it's an issue to the leagues.
What we also find is that, you know, we're out talking to Republicans, Democrats and independents in all the competitive districts. This issue doesn't proactively come up, including with strong Republicans. People want, you know, they want -- I think the reason you've got the --
CORNISH: Yes. But that's why it's being raised, right?
RADJY: Right. But I -- but I also --
CORNISH: Like, so, that's what's on the horizon.
RADJY: Right. But I think what we also see is that most voters, including Republicans, they don't want trans kids to not have rights, right? They're freaked out because of lack of knowledge, because they don't have the right language about the trans in sports issues.
TIANA LOWE DOESCHER, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, "WASHINGTON EXAMINER": Or they're freaked out because biological boys are being allowed in some districts to compete against girls in women's sports. To change in their locker rooms. To take scholarship opportunities away from those girls. At the federal level, the executive branch does put a thumb on the pulse of this, right, with Title IX enforcement.
CORNISH: Yes.
DOESCHER: IX, we think of it as, oh, adjudicating sexual assault, but it's --
CORNISH: We're like stripping the pass -- the passport gender, right, for people who already have a changed passport, that sort of thing.
DOESCHER: Sure. And I think the passport thing doesn't necessarily get the median voter all that excited because it has to deal with adults. But in --
CORNISH: Excited, just in (ph) general policy.
DOESCHER: Yes. Yes.
CORNISH: Yes.
DOESCHER: But the issue is with the children, right? If you're over 18 and you want to call yourself they/them, whatever, all right. But it's about the kids. Why should -- and about the scholastic opportunities from universities.
CORNISH: Let me let Yasmin respond here.
RADJY: Yes. I just think this is all just an excuse for Republicans to talk about something else. They went after Andy Beshear. This was the top source of the ads of attacks against Andy Beshear. There was one --
DOESCHER: Because he vetoed a bill.
RADJY: There was one --
DOESCHER: That would have banned boys from girls sports.
RADJY: There was one trans high school kid who wanted to play sports. We want federal oversight over one kid. I mean, it is just such an obvious distraction. And I think my advice --
DOESCHER: But then why did he veto it? If it doesn't -- if it never happens, why did he veto the bill?
RADJY: Because what -- you want the government to be going and checking high school --
DOESCHER: Yes, I would like the state government --
RADJY: Going into high school locker rooms?
DOESCHER: Yes.
RADJY: I mean it is just -- this is an issue for the leagues. And I think that is -- there is high school leagues. There is the NCAA. There's all kinds of leagues. And they should have their own rules. It's a non-issue.
CORNISH: Can I add one other thing that's different than when you all were fighting about this a few years ago? I think the role of trans activist voices has fundamentally changed, on the national stage and within the Democratic Party. When you have Elon Musk take over platforms like X, when you have a more scattered social media environment, the ability to say, pay attention to these rights, the ability to be the single issue constituency group that says Democrats, if you really care about human rights, you care about this, I feel like that has been nixed and that is being ignored.
SARA FISCHER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA ANALYST: I agree. And I think it's part of a broader cultural shift. In 2020, there were so many hyper progressive policies that came to swallow the Democratic Party. I think about, you know, the movement against the police force, quite frankly. And I think you see a lot of candidates -- AOC is a great example of this -- that are trying to claw their way back from some of those hyper progressive policies as they emerge on a national stage.
CORNISH: Yes, because there's no consequence that voice -- those voices no longer have the power to make things argue for you.
FISCHER: Yes, to call them out. Exactly, to call them out.
DOESCHER: Darializa Chevalier is about to be elected to Congress.
CORNISH: Yes.
DOESCHER: And she's in favor of prison reform. So, like, let's not pretend that, like, oh, woke one is over. No, woke one is still here.
CORNISH: We didn't say one is over. I'm saying right now the largest, loudest, and most well-platformed voices on the issue of trans rights actually appears to be young women who say that they're being pushed out of the sport, or who dislike the idea of trans athletes, the age where every time I turned on the TV, I might see an actual trans activist is over. That's very different from what you're saying.
FISCHER: Yes, it puts a lot of pressure on the Democrats.
CORNISH: We're saying, who actually is dealing with pressure right now?
FISCHER: Yes.
CORNISH: Democrats are not dealing with pressure from their left.
FISCHER: Yes.
CORNISH: They are fighting this fight in districts that are -- mostly leans Republican. And therefore their messaging sounds very different.
FISCHER: Yes.
RADJY: We've talked to -- I think we're just going to hit 100,000 conversations. I can count on one hand how many times voters are proactively bringing this issue up.
[06:55:03]
So, I think Republicans are desperate, right, to talk about an issue that they feel like they've got ground on. This is just not what voters wake up every morning thinking, I really wish that the federal government would intervene in my kids high school locker room.
CORNISH: Yes.
RADJY: I mean it is just not --
CORNISH: And you don't have anyone coming up to you and saying, I'm a trans athlete. Democrats care about me. You should be defending me. You guys aren't dealing with that anymore.
RADJY: I think the number of trans athletes that we have in our country is minuscule compared to the number of people who want systemic changes in our economy, who want -- it's just like this is such a small issue.
CORNISH: Yes. So, voice over.
DOESCHER: But it could be totally neutralized of any --
CORNISH: OK, I want to talk about what you guys are doing for your group chats. Why? Because it's Monday and we want to talk about what's happening this week. And usually have your ear to the ground. What's in your group chats, or what's just coming up?
FISCHER: I think this Madonna revival is a huge deal. She took home seven awards at the VMAs last night. She performed alongside Charli XCX. And --
CORNISH: And this is all off the back of her latest album, which is called "Danceteria," --
FISCHER: Yes.
CORNISH: Which is a little bit nostalgic, but also sounds just as fresh as any Madonna album.
FISCHER: Yes. And she's made a big moment out of this album. Also, we haven't seen Madonna perform at the VMAs since 2003. But what I love about it is it proves that you don't have to get aged out of the pop culture and out of this industry. I think there's always been this idea that, you know, in order to have like a longevity -- and we just saw Dolly Parton, the late Dolly Parton, had a really long career. But for the what -- the image that Madonna's trying to give out, which is, like, sexy --
CORNISH: Yes.
FISCHER: Like the fact that she's able to do that as an older woman is -- it's -- it proves that it's a really interesting moment that we're in.
CORNISH: Which we're kind of OK with, right?
FISCHER: Yes.
CORNISH: Like, for the longest time, we would see an Aerosmith, we would see a Rolling Stones, like those guys were still gyrating away.
FISCHER: Yes.
CORNISH: And anytime Madonna showed leg, there were think pieces that were like, oh my God, why did we see that leg? And it felt like a very interesting moment, especially since Taylor Swift was having yet another kind of semi coronation for everything to be turned to Madonna.
DOESCHER: Yes. No. And I feel like it's definitely the renaissance for like gen x boomer women. Like when you think of, who's the hottest actress in Hollywood, hottest both visually and like who's booming, right, on TV movies. I mean, honestly, you kind of think of like Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock right now, just thinking of like that press tour.
FISCHER: Yes.
DOESCHER: Like, I can't really think of anyone under the age of 30 who's not named Xendaya or Sydney Sweeney that like is --
CORNISH: Yes. It's hard to be an a-list.
DOESCHER: Yes.
CORNISH: Yes.
DOESCHER: It's really all these women over a certain age who are still, like, look amazing. So, good for them.
CORNISH: I know. They made it harder for all the rest of us. Good luck to me at 60.
What else is in your group chat?
DOESCHER: So, the A.I. doomers, the effective altruists, rationalists, you hear this philosophy. A lot of them, they congregate at this venue called Lighthaven in Berkeley. And this weekend Lighthaven hosted Slutcon. So, there are huge --
CORNISH: It doesn't mean it's the same people. It's just a night at a club.
DOESCHER: Well, there are -- there's a decent amount of overlap.
CORNISH: No, I just want to make sure because I have attended a certain club that may have a night that I don't want to be attached to.
DOESCHER: Yes. There's a decent amount of overlap between the A.I. safety-ism movement and the --
CORNISH: And people who have sex --
DOESCHER: Not people of sex -- people who attend Slutcon and publicly make it everyone's business to be part of polycules. You know what, you live your life. I get I'm an old school conservative.
CORNISH: But they are living their life at a special night at a club where no one knows about it until you brought it up on TV.
RADJY: It's (INAUDIBLE). Oh, my God.
DOESCHER: It's a -- everyone know ever (ph) --
CORNISH: They were living those lives quietly, Tiana.
DOESCHER: Is it quietly if you're selling tickets to a public event? I don't know. I'm just saying --
CORNISH: Yes. Did you hear -- was a ticket forced on you?
DOESCHER: No.
CORNISH: It was quiet. It was quiet. OK, Slutcon, you do you. You do you. We're not here to slut shame anybody. That is a gen x lady lesson we learned after Me Too.
RADJY: Yes.
CORNISH: OK, what's in your group chat?
RADJY: So, my group chat is lit right now because I, last weekend, got to go knock on doors with Adam Brody. So, all --
CORNISH: Oh my God, why do you use words like "lit" and then say a campaign thing? That is just work. That's your actual work.
RADJY: Well, because I got to go -- but I got to go talk with voters with Adam Brody. So, all the millennial women in all my group chats are like, what's he like? What did he say? How persuasive was he when we talked to Republican voters? So --
CORNISH: Yes. But then you're going on the door and being like, hey, would you like to talk to the star of "Nobody Wants This" about Democrats? Like, it feels like you could have picked a little --
RADJY: Welcome, you know, into (INAUDIBLE), California.
CORNISH: That's true.
RADJY: The mostly Republican voters that we talked to did not know Adam Brody. But what he --
CORNISH: In the California they didn't?
RADJY: And -- right. And like 20 minutes from where he grew up.
DOESCHER: (INAUDIBLE), right? Temecula. It's super old.
RADJY: There's a lot of boomers. But what we found is we got a lot of millennial women sign ups hoping to go and volunteer at swingleft.org for the next celebrity that will be out knocking on doors with us.
CORNISH: (INAUDIBLE) With the OC (ph). That's how you did it?
RADJY: That's right. That's right.
CORNISH: I feel like -- I can't actually picture him doing this. So, I'm really into it.
RADJY: He was really good.
CORNISH: OK.
RADJY: He was really -- he was very Seth Cohen in real life. Super -- he reads more news than most political operatives. He's really, really good at listening, it turns out, which is, you know, makes my millennial sort of like high school dreams come true that he has great (INAUDIBLE).
CORNISH: Yes.
DOESCHER: But that's how we wound up with Donald Trump. The fact that we let our celebrities become political stars. I'm just saying. I'm just saying.
CORNISH: Oh, wow. I didn't except that from you. What just happened here?
DOESCHER: Never would have been president if it weren't for (INAUDIBLE).
FISCHER: I mean Nicki Minaj likes Trump now.
DOESCHER: Yes.
FISCHER: So, it's happening both ways.
DOESCHER: Yes.
CORNISH: Why isn't Nicki Minaj performing?
FISCHER: Oh, that's a great question. She's being overshadowed by Madonna right now.
[07:00:01]
CORNISH: Like, she's working with Trump. There's been so many opportunities for concerts and --
DOESCHER: Doesn't she have small children?
FISCHER: It could be that. I don't know. I think she has small children.
CORNISH: Yes. I don't know. OK, Nicki, get out there.
I want to thank you guys for being with us and for kicking off the week. We've got a lot of reporting ahead. We're also talking about this meeting coming up with the head of Anthropic with the president at the White House. That headline and others are next. I'm Audie Cornish. Stay with us.
